Letter: The last thing Fall River needs is a casino

The proposal to put a casino in the Maplewood section of the city is a case in point. It will not only ruin a fine neighborhood; it will also cause a loss of jobs for many people who work in the Fall River area, because the “300-room hotel, the entertainment and retail spaces” and “the 10 bars and restaurant...

Whenever politicians want to promote something that the citizens would be reluctant to accept, the state tout the word “jobs.”

The proposal to put a casino in the Maplewood section of the city is a case in point. It will not only ruin a fine neighborhood; it will also cause a loss of jobs for many people who work in the Fall River area, because the “300-room hotel, the entertainment and retail spaces” and “the 10 bars and restaurants” already proposed will put our existing retail stores and fine restaurants out of business because of unfair competition.

And this will be only the beginning. It remains to be seen how many homes and businesses will eventually be swallowed up by the casino as it continues to expand.

It is a known fact that a casino does not provide good jobs for local residents. The good jobs are already revered for those who are connected with the casino and their families — and they are always willing to travel or re-locate to fill the good positions.

Fall River already has a serious problem with addiction and with crime. Does any reasonable person believe that a casino would not exacerbate both of these things?

Gambling will bring its own set of problems, and there are better solutions to a city’s unemployment problems than gambling.